Reunited
by T8037
Summary: Chapter by chapter scenarios on how they could reunite. Prompts welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm going for a set of individual scenarios on how they could be reunited. I've got this one so far and one other which is still in my head! Feel free to drop me a line if you have any ideas you want me to try either via PM here or you can find me on Instagram on TJJ8037 :-)**

X

After she left that evening, he just stood in his hall not knowing how he should be feeling. He'd had his suspicions that if it was going to end, this would be the reason why, but he had hoped it wouldn't be the case. Nobody ever enters into a relationship with the intention of separating so her words had hit him hard. It wasn't enough.

The weeks that followed were not easy and he had considered taking some personal time to regroup. Go visit his parents maybe, but they would know there was something 'not right' about it and he couldn't bear the thought of the thousand questions that would inevitably come. When will you settle down? When will we get grandchildren?

The thought of visiting Jo in Florida also crossed his mind but he didn't want to put them in the middle of whatever this might turn into. He didn't know how they would actually break the news to their best friends, who just two short months ago celebrated the news of them finally getting their act together and becoming a couple.

X

Professionally, their lives were good. They knocked surgeries out of the park like they always had, and their communications were getting better. She never would admit it, but Audrey still found herself second guessing her decisions involving him and had yet to figure or a solution for that. One day she would feel herself being too lenient, then the next she would overcompensate and they would bicker like children - just as they had before they broke up.

Remembering to check themselves with the little gestures and touches was the hardest part. The urge to reach out to her was still there for him, except now it was just as forbidden as it was before so he would keep himself to himself both inside and outside the hospital. It was way too soon to consider hanging out as friends, it was too raw.

The biggest test for him would be this year's gala - her first as Chief of Surgery. He was apprehensive about attending and tried to fix the schedule so that he would be on duty. When his plan failed, he told himself that her time would be filled schmoozing with big donors and minor celebrities so he would barely see her. He blocked out thoughts of how amazing she would undoubtedly look and focused on getting the job done. That's all it would be...work.

With his first drink of the evening cradled in his hands, he was propped against one of the tall tables leaning on his elbows and staring into the bottom of his glass. Whoever had the idea of getting rid of even more seating this year needed a good talking too. He understood the logic behind it but that didn't mean he agreed with it. The hospital administration wanted people on their feet, moving around and socializing, not planting themselves at a single table for the night hoping that people would come to them.

"Penny for them" he heard from behind him.

"Not worth that much" he smiled turning to see the ever faithful Mrs Gunther standing there. "How are you?"

"I'm very well" she smiled. "But I've seen you better?"

"I'm good" he replied. "Had a rough few weeks, that's all. Would you like to dance?"

"Yes I would Dr Melendez" she smiled.

"How long will it be until you call me Neil?"

"Maybe when I marry you off to one of my granddaughters" she laughed, linking her arm with his and allowing herself to be led to the dancefloor.

As they moved around, he was suddenly distracted.

"Is she the reason you're in such a melancholy mood" Mrs Gunther asked with a glint in her eye.

"She is" Neil confirmed, giving nothing further away and his dance partner didn't press him on it.

He continued to glance at her as she moved through the crowd, shaking hands and greeting people like it was second nature. He knew that she would be hating every minute but it was now a 'perk' of the job.

As expected, she looked fantastic. Her dress was classically beautiful and he had to concentrate to focus on his dance partner instead of appreciating her form. This evening was going to be just as difficult as he thought.

X

After taking a number of turns around the dancefloor, shaking hands and meeting a couple of new contacts, he decided that a couple of hours was enough and made his escape.

"Where do you think you're going!" he heard her call after him as he walked along the corridor towards the staff entrance.

"Home" he replied, turning to face her. "It's been a long day."

"Without a dance?" she asked, looking nervous but sounding hopeful.

"You don't get to do that" he said flatly. "Not any more."

"Neil" she sighed, his name sounding like a forbidden secret as it passed her lips.

"I'm allowed to be unhappy" he said, frowning at her. "I just need some time."

She had continued her approach while they spoke until they were now just a foot apart. He looked up at her and promptly stuffed his hands into his pockets as the urge to reach out and tuck some errant hair back behind her ear almost became too much. Her heels had given her a couple of extra inches on him and she'd taken extra time to get her makeup just right. She looked beautiful.

"Look, Aud..." he started.

"We need to talk" she interrupted. "Please."

He didn't respond, he just continued to look at her. Her eyes openly showing the sadness that she worked hard to hide on a daily basis. He was starting to lose his resolve.

"Please Neil" she implored. "I feel so alone" she said, her shoulders sagging.

He physically felt the pain of her words as they hurt his heart and against his better judgement, he held out his hand to her and just said "let's go".

"Where do you want to go?" he asked as he started the car. He'd nursed a single drink all evening and was well within the legal limit.

"Home?" she asked, looking over at him and the corners of his mouth twitched in response.

The drive was silent and pulling up outside fifteen minutes later, he got out to open her door. He automatically held out his hand to give her some balance and took a deep breath as her fingers tangled with his and she pulled herself to her feet. Heeled shoes were not a friend of Audrey Lim and she couldn't wait to kick them off.

He heard her sigh as he let go of her hand and turned to close the car door. A few weeks ago they would have walked to the door with their hands intertwined, not wanting to let go. Following him to his front door, she paused a moment before crossing the threshold. They were going to talk and she needed to compose herself. This wasn't going to come easily for her, she was a woman of action but that wasn't what either of them needed right now.

She closed the door behind her and walked through into the kitchen. He had already put some music on in the background and was fixing them a drink on autopilot. He handed it to her as she came to stand next to him and he subsequently moved to the opposite side of the counter, a move which spoke volumes about how he felt right now.

"Let's talk" he said flatly, his eyes boring into hers, daring her to go first.

Her eyes flickered down to her glass and nothing came. She felt tense and under a kind of pressure she hadn't felt before. Letting out a shaky breath, she began.

"I miss you" she said sadly. "I miss us."

He shook his head as if he didn't quite believe her.

"I do" she continued. "I miss feeling safe with you and I miss... you. Just you."

"You miss the idea of us" he replied. "The happy ever after that we're all meant to have. Marriage and kids and everything that goes with it" he stated.

She nodded.

"We tried and it didn't work. Why should I put myself out there again for you to change your mind when it gets tough again. Because it will get tough" he said calmly.

"We did it wrong last time" she said, pausing to take a sip. "Hiding it set a precedent we couldn't come back from. We weren't doing anything wrong but it set us on the wrong course from the start."

"And what would you do differently this time? You're still my superior."

"I want to go to Glassman. Tell him we want to pursue this and come to an agreement. You could report to him maybe?"

"I suggested this already and you dismissed it without consideration and now that it's your idea..." he said, sitting up straight and getting agitated.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, worried that she'd pushed to much too soon. "It was a mistake to not consider it before. I thought that me being the boss was the most important thing. But it isn't" she added quietly.

"We will argue?"

"I know" she replied.

"How are you going to stay objective? We are going to disagree professionally" he challenged.

"I know" she repeated. "I wasn't objective before and I'm not objective now. Nothing changed after we broke up, my feelings didn't change. You're the second best surgeon I know and I will always put my faith in you. I actually love how you argue so hard for what you think is right" she confessed.

"Second best?" he asked, tilting his head.

"After me, of course" she laughed "Let's do it properly this time. We go see Glassman together, declare everything and date properly" she smiled.

"Date?"

"Yes, date" she smiled. "We can go to soccer games or dancing or concerts?" she suggested. "And..." she paused.

"And?" he asked, wondering just how far she would go.

"Maybe we shouldn't just jump back into bed" she said quietly, feeling a little silly saying it out loud. "Maybe we're shouldn't let the sex cloud our judgement."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we deal with that like grown ups too" she replied. "But I don't usually get into a relationship already thinking about how to deal with the breakup" she teased!

He smirked at that. He had missed her and what she was saying seemed to make sense.

"Okay" he replied after a few seconds, draining his glass and walking back around the counter to put it in the sink. "We can do all that" he smiled, stopping in front of her.

She took his face in her hands and looked at him adoringly. "You are a beautiful man" she said, before hesitating and giving him the quickest of kisses. "I should get going. This dress definitely isn't getting any more comfortable and I should put those shoes on while I still can" she smiled.

"It's late" he said. "You could stay?"

"What did we just talk about?" she said incredulously.

"I'll take the guest room" he smiled. "Come on, I'll get you something to sleep in" he said taking her hand and pulling her towards the stairs.

She perched on the edge of the bed she had slept in many times before and watched as he rummaged around in the closet. He eventually emerged victorious, brandishing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and held them out to her.

She stood to face him again.

"Thank you" she smiled. "For these, and for all that."

"Goodnight Neil" she smiled, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Goodnight Audrey."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the prompt guest reviewer :-) I'll work that into a chapter for you soon. But for now...**

"Hey" he said smiling and trying to sound cheerful as she answered the phone on the second ring. "How are you guys?"

"Hey yourself" the voice replied with a hint of suspicion. "We're good. Not like you to call this time of day. Everything alright?"

"I'm good" he replied hoping that she couldn't hear the sadness in his voice that he was desperately trying to hide. "Was wondering if you fancied some company? Some free childcare for a few days?"

"We would love that, but we're heading to Breckenridge tomorrow for the week" Jo replied.

"Ah, I forgot" Neil smiled. Jo had made a solid group of friends since moving to Florida a few years ago and with all that had happened recently, he'd forgotten this was the week of their annual ski trip to Colorado.

"What's the matter? Audrey so busy being Chief that she isn't giving you enough attention?" she teased, having no idea of the truth.

"Pretty much" he replied with a little laugh but sounding flat.

"Are you okay Neil?" she asked.

"I'm fine" he lied. "I'll give you a call next week to find out how many times you fell on your ass this year. Give Lucas a kiss from me" he smiled.

"Sure" Jo replied. "Bye Neil."

"Bye."

She sat back heavily and looked over at Matt with a look on her face he couldn't decipher.

"That was weird" she said. "I'm gonna call Audrey" she said moving to pick up her cell phone again.

"Maybe you shouldn't" Matt said putting his hand on her arm. "If they've had a fight, you don't want to be stuck in the middle, do you?" he asked.

"No, but..."

"No buts" he smiled, shaking his head.

"He asked to come visit" she continued, not happy to let the conversation finish there. "Just him?"

"Well there is a spare room in the lodge next week after Geoff and Linda's work plans changed. Tell him he can come stay if he can get a flight. Nobody will mind."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should check with the rest first?"

"I will if you want, but I'm sure it will be fine. Pass my cell" he said with a smile.

X

Three days later, he pulled up on the driveway of a large lodge in his rented AWD. Jo had called him back a few hours after their conversation with an invitation to join them and he jumped at it. After making arrangements to take his leave from the hospital, he booked the first available flight. He was missing the first two days of skiing but that didn't bother him in the slightest. He hasn't skied a day in his life before, and he wasn't intending on starting now!

Feeling the satisfying crunch of the snow under his boots as he slid from the driver's seat, he smiled to himself. He was going to relax and enjoy in a place that didn't hold a single, solitary memory of Audrey for him. He was going to take Lucas tobogganing, have a few beers and catch up on some sleep leaving his cell in his bag the whole time.

Getting his bag and jacket out of the trunk, he made his way towards the front door. When he was just a few steps away, he saw it fly open and blonde blur come running towards him. He dropped his bag just in time to catch the young boy as he launched himself in Neils direction.

"Tioooooo" he squealed as Neil spun him around, his own grin so wide it almost split his face in two.

"Hi" Neil smiled, once he'd set him safely back on his feet, ruffling his fingers through the fair curls.

After being pulled the rest of the way to the door, he greeted Jo with great, encompassing hug. He kicked off his heavy boots and hung his jacket with the rest before following her through to the living area. There were familiar faces among the crowd from previous visits, but a couple of new faces too and once the introductions were complete, Jo suggested he take his bag to his room before it was emptied by the kids.

"We're in here with Lucas" she said as they passed by one of the closed doors. "And this one is you" she said with a smile opening another to reveal a simple double room.

"That's great" he smiled. "Did I say thank you yet?"

"You did. But you could thank me more by telling me what's going on?" she suggested.

"I can't just visit my old friend? There has to be a reason?" he teased, stepping inside and putting his bag on the rack by the window.

"There doesn't have to be" Jo countered. "But I know there is. So when you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here" she smiled. "I'll leave you unpack. See you downstairs."

"Thank you" he smirked, earning himself a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head.

Once she had closed the door behind her, he sat down heavily at the end of the bed. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he unlocked it, dismissed any notifications without reading them, and set it to silent before dropping it into the bedside table.

X

After spending the evening socialising, he was ready for a good night's sleep and almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was lost to his dreams. He woke the next morning with a crushing feeling on his back and a small arm draped casually across his face.

Trying to lift his head, he found he was pinned to his mattress by the sleeping form of Lucas who had snuck in at some point in the night. He smiled to himself and lay as still as possible until the boy was ready to wake, thankfully not a long time later.

Jo smiled softly as she watched the pair of them walk into the kitchen in their pyjamas, hair standing on end and still looking sleepy. They were met within a chorus of 'aaahhh' as Neil directed him towards Matt to get him some breakfast while he headed straight for the coffee.

"Sorry about the uninvited guest" Jo shrugged. "He woke us about 4am asking for you so we just let him in."

"Not a problem" he chuckled. "He's like a little space heater though" he laughed.

"What's your plan for today?" one of the men sat around the table asked. "Going to join us on the slopes?"

"I'll pass thanks" he smiled. "I've gone over thirty years without throwing myself down a snow covered mountain. I'm happy to keep that tradition going."

"There is plenty to do around here still, you'll entertain yourself I'm sure."

"No doubt" he laughed.

He spent the day wandering around the resort, stopping to people watch while sitting with a coffee. The place was packed with people from all walks of life, families, groups of friends and couples sitting close together. He could see why Jo, Matt and their friends kept coming back here, there was a bustle that was infectious and he found himself starting too wind down after a stressful couple of weeks.

He quickly settled into his own little routine, he joined in socially but also took the time to himself that he needed to heal and was feeling the difference.

Sat under the heaters on the porch, they held their hot drinks with both hands in an effort to keep their fingers warm. It was particularly cold this evening, they weren't going to be sat out there long but Jo had insisted. She hoped that if they spent a few moments alone, he'd open up and she'd know why he was really here. The past two evenings had been a bust but she had three more to go!

Neil had his eyes closed and was enjoying the peace after quite the hectic dinner. Feeling Jo shift in her seat, he looked over to see her pull her cell from her jacket pocket. The screen was lit up with a familiar image and before he could say anything, she had swiped the green logo and answered the call.

Casually mentioning Neils presence during their initial exchange she was surprised to hear her friend breath a sigh of relief.

"He's there?" Audrey asked hoping her voice didn't sound as shaky as it felt.

"Yeeeeesss" Jo replied. "What's going on with you two? Why don't you know where he is Aud?"

Her questions were met with silence from both parties. Neil stared stoically ahead avoiding her enquiring look.

"You still there?" Jo asked, moving the handset away from her ear briefly to check the screen was still active.

"I'm still here" Audrey replied. "Is he okay?" she asked.

"Maybe you should ask him yourself" Jo said with a huff, putting the handset on loudspeaker and putting on the side table between them. "I'm not going to be your mediator" she said abruptly.

"Neil?"

"I'm here" he replied. "What do you need?"

"I need to talk to you" Audrey said quietly.

"Work related I assume?" Neil asked abruptly. "I cleared my leave with Glassman, can't it wait until I get back? I'm going to head out for an hour" he said to Jo without waiting for an answer.

"Neil, it's freezing out."

"Just down to the bar. I'm not going to wander off" he said with a small smile. "I'll see you in a bit" he said, standing to leave and dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"Has he gone?" the disembodied voice came from the handset, briefly forgotten on the table.

"He's gone" Jo confirmed. "What on earth is going on Audrey? Your not stuck in work are you?"

'I'm not" she replied, pausing and taking a deep breath. "I ended it between us last week and he disappeared off the radar a couple of days later. I was worried."

"What, you did what?!"

"We were struggling to function at work, got hauled in by Glassman after arguing in public and it was just too much. I told him I loved him but then I told him it wasn't enough" she said, holding back the tears that threatened to fall again. "I broke his heart."

"Oh Audrey" Jo sighed. "How have things been since?"

"He's been ridiculously nice to me which hasn't helped and Friday he told me he was glad I was finding it hard."

"He did what?!" Jo exclaimed. "That's horrible!"

"It actually wasn't" she replied softly. "He said it showed that it mattered."

"Wow" was all that Jo could muster.

"I made a mistake. I thought that if i ended it, I could go back to being objective. I could go back to seeing him just as i did before."

"And what did happen?" Jo asked.

"I realised that I was never objective. I've always looked at him through rose-tinted glasses, put him on a pedestal, thinking he can do anything."

"And look where it got you? You're at the top of your game, Chief of Surgery and he's been there the whole time, pushing you, competing with you and supporting you." Jo said, knowing that her friend was listening intently.

"I know" Audrey agreed. "But if he won't talk to me, how am I meant to tell him all that?"

"I may have an idea" Jo said with a smile. "It's a bit of a grand gesture but I'll put good money on it."

"Whatever it is, I'm in" Audrey announced as she settled to listen to her plan of action.

X

Walking in the back door with Lucas in his arms, he was stopped in his tracks by the presence of the person sat at the table, sipping at a coffee with Matt and Jo.

"What are you doing here Aud" he asked with a sigh.

"We need to talk" she said, getting up from her seat. She walked right up to him, smiling at the young boy and holding out her arms, into which he gladly climbed. After a bear hug and some tickling, she placed him gently on his feet for him to head off to his parents.

"Can we?" she asked looking him straight in the eye.

"Let me grab a coffee" he replied, feeling he might need it. "We can go out here" he said nodding towards the veranda.

After filling his cup, and topping up hers, he held the door open and followed her outside. Leaning his elbows on the wooden rail, he looked out over the spectacular vistas with a small smile.

She mirrored his position, standing just to one side not quite close enough for them to be touching. She had arrived filled with bravado at her grand plan, which had quickly waned when she found he hadn't actually been at the lodge when she arrived and now she was feeling nervous.

"What did you need to say Aud?" he asked breaking the stalemate.

"That I was wrong" she mumbled into her cup.

"Pardon?" he asked, turning slightly to look at her. He was genuinely not sure what she had just said.

"I said that I was wrong" she said a little louder, trying to seem confident. "I made a mistake and I wanted..." she paused.

"You want me to come back like you didn't dump me on my ass?" he interrupted.

"No, no, no" she said shaking her head. "I just needed to make sure you know that. And make sure you know that I am sorry. If I could do it all again, it would be so different."

He stood in silence, thinking about what she just said. Audrey generally didn't apologise, mostly because she never believed that she was wrong. They were very similar in that manner and that was part of the reason behind the public disagreement that had been a catalyst for this whole affair.

He shuffled his feet so they were now shoulder to shoulder and leaned in to give her a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you" he said with a smile. "You wanna do it all again?" he asked after a pause, feeling brave.

She nodded and he grinned.

"I should leave you to it" she said, smiling back and standing up straight. She didn't want to push too hard, too fast and mess this up, she knew he'd want some space to process what had happened today.

He took her hand and gave a gentle pull, indicating that she should follow him back inside. There hadn't been a big declaration of undying love but she'd said enough and the fact that she was here at all was the biggest thing. She'd travelled 1200 miles just to say sorry.

"So you two look better" Matt teased as they walked back into the warmth of the kitchen. "Lucas won't be happy to be sharing his new roommate" he laughed.

"I saw the photos earlier, very cute" Audrey smiled. "But he'll be okay, I've got a car waiting outside for me."

"Waiting?" Neil asked, with a frown.

"Waiting" Audrey confirmed. "My flight back to San Jose is in...90 minutes" she said checking her watch.

"You aren't staying?"

"I only had today free on the schedule. Bit short notice for leave, especially as one of my surgeons seems to have taken the whole week" she teased.

"Sorry about that" Neil smiled, feeling quite smug.

"Next time" she shrugged. "C'mere" she said holding her arms open to Jo whispering 'thank you' as they embraced. "I'll see you soon" she said, squatting down to speak to Lucas. "Look after Tio Neil" she told him, the young boy puffing out his chest with pride.

"I'll walk you out" Neil said, not ready for her to be going just yet. Out in the hall, he held out her coat for her to slide her arms in and when she turned to face him, she found him standing close, very close.

He looked down, and distracted himself by doing up her buttons. He found the ends of the belt around her waist and tied a loose knot but didn't let go.

He leaned in and kissed her gently, feeling her smile against his lips.

"That okay?' he asked.

"More than okay" she mumbled so he kissed her again. "But I really do have to go" she moaned before things got too intense.

"You do realise you just made a grand romantic gesture right?" he said with a smirk as they stepped apart.

"I do" she said owning the situation. "And I'd do it again if I had to" she smiled.

"Let's hope you don't have too" he smiled kissing her softly.

"I can't promise that" she replied. "But it's something I'm going to be working on."

"I'll wait" he grinned before kissing her one last time and sending her on her way.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking down the corridor to her office with her nose in her tablet, her attention was suddenly drawn to one of the first year residents about to knock on Dr Melendez office door. She glanced inside to see his sock clad feet hanging off the end of the couch and quickened her pace to reach out and grab the young doctors wrist as he was about to make contact with the glass.

"How long has he been like that?" she asked, nodding at his sleeping form spread out on the couch inside.

"Only about ten minutes" he replied. "But he said he wanted to know as soon as the results were back" he said, his eyes darting between her and Melendez quite he tried to decide his next move.

Neil had been in this surgery for almost 6 hours already when the complications arose. They had taken a break to run further tests and after placing the orders and updating the family, Neil headed to his office for a rest. He had been half expecting the current issue to arise, so he was already prepared for the next steps in the procedure, they just needed the test results to confirm the direction they were going. In the lull in the action, he kicked off his sneakers and stretched out on the couch, fully intending on only taking five minutes of shut eye but dropping off heavily.

"Leave them with me" she said holding out her hand for the paperwork, giving the nervous resident an encouraging nod.

"Yes Dr Lim, Sir" he stuttered. "I mean Ma'am."

She raised her eyebrows in response and chuckled to herself as he scurried away in the direction he'd come from.

Looking at the new file in her hand, and back to Neil she made the decision to deliver the news herself. In about twenty minutes time. She'd known him long enough that she knew ten minutes would probably do to recharge his batteries but thirty minutes would be a whole lot better and he would be fresh and raring to go.

Gently opening the door, she stepped inside quietly, careful not to allow her boots to echo on the hard flooring. Taking a seat in the chair opposite him, she settled in with her tablet to get a bit of work done while he snored quietly. Over the next fifteen minutes, she had successfully dismissed another two potential interruptions with a simple look and a wave of her hand. Checking her watch, she saw there just were five more minutes to go. The time had passed quickly.

She took these last few minutes to watch him. He was stretched out along the full length of the couch, looking relaxed and comfortable. He'd kicked off his sneakers to reveal his obnoxiously garish socks which made her smile. His suits and shirts were always so crisp and smooth but when he changed into scrubs for a procedure, he always changed his socks. The tradition had started during their residency during a particularly challenging case and had contined to this day. Every surgeon had their own rituals and traditions, and his was to wear the most horrendous socks available to every procedure and so far, it had served him well.

She loved knowing that little bit about him that not many others did, it made her feel special. She loved that quirk about him. She loved a whole lot about him come to think of it.

He had gathered together the small decorative throw cushions to use as a pillow for his nap and she gave a smile at the thought of the little patterns that would likely be imprinted into his cheek when he woke. He always slept heavily, and she took the next few minutes to just watch him knowing it was unlikely he would wake and catch her. Sometimes, in an evening, he would take a while to get to sleep. He'd toss and turn and go over the day's events in his head but once he finally dropped off, it would be like trying to wake the dead.

She sighed.

She had been missing him more than she would ever admit in these last few weeks. It had taken a while to start, but she'd actually begun to imagine them having a future together. Not necessarily moving to the suburbs and getting a dog but she knew he wanted children and she was okay with that. They hadn't talked about it directly, but she'd known that was the reason behind the breakup with Jessica. She had figured, that the fact she was willing to take their relationship public was silent confirmation that she was ready too. Maybe she should have actually said the words.

She sat a moment longer with a far away look her face as she thought quite what their children would have looked like. Her smile widened as she envisioned what a great father Neil would be. In the next split second, the smile fell from her face as a thought flashed through her busy mind. Pushing it from her thoughts just as quickly, she decided it was tine to wake him.

"Hey" she whispered, leaning forward and giving his shoulder a gentle shake. There was no response. "Hey" she repeated a little louder, smiling when he shifted slightly. She shook her head and decided to use a tactic she had employed many times before.

"Neil" she spoke directly into his ear, breathing a little heavier than was absolutely necessary. "Wake up."

His eyes snapped open as he felt her breath on his neck and he was surprised to see her so close.

"Test results are in" she confirmed waving the file in his face. "Got to go, got a meeting" she said before getting up and hurrying from the room.

She'd left the room before he'd even had the chance to sit up. He swung his feet around and pulled on his sneakers, hiding the brightly coloured sticks without a second thought.

'That was weird' he thought to himself, frowning as he opened the file and began to read. Before he could reach the end, his residents arrived for an update and stood eagerly waiting further instruction. Confirming the suspected diagnosis, he sent them all on their way and stood up to stretch out his back.

Thinking it was a bit unusual for the Chief of Surgery to hand deliver test results, he gave a little frown before shaking his head to clear his mind and head out to finish what he started.

X

"Good thing none of us have work to do?" Dr Lim announced as she approached the small crowd of staff at the edge of the nurses station a few hours later.

"We can't concentrate" one of them blurted before nodding over to a smaller station just across the way.

Following her gaze, she looked over and saw what had preoccupied her staff and felt her heart melt a little at the sight. Stood against the counter, scribbling away in his patient notes, was Neil and perched next to him on the high work surface, was a young child, less than a year old.

"Who is that?" Audrey asked curiously.

"The mother was in Dr Melendez surgery today. We thought her husband might want to sit with her quietly for a while but they have no childcare" one of them started.

"We offered to take him but he was soooo cranky. He fussed and wriggled until Dr Melendez offered to take him" another continued. "The baby just calmed right down, so he took him over there while he did his notes and it's just the cutest thing we've ever seen!"

Audrey looked on for a few more seconds before directing her staff to get back to work. "The patients won't look after themselves, you know" she said scolding them slightly but certainly understanding the way their focus has been drawn to the scene in front of them.

"Offering babysitting services now too?" she said quietly as she walked up to Neil and his young charge.

"This is George" Neil smiled, standing up a little straighter but keeping one hand on the small of the youngsters back. "Say hi to Dr Lim" he smiled to the boy, grimacing slightly as his response was to reach up and grab a handful of Neils thick black hair.

"Whatever it takes, right?" he shrugged, smiling at her.

"I think childcare is a little above your paygrade" she replied, admonishing him a little before looking back at Neils new little friend. "But I totally get it. He's cute" she smiled.

"Yes I am cute" Neil said animatedly to George, making Audrey laugh and shake her head.

"Asshat" she replied shaking her head in turn at his objections to her teaching little George his first curse word.

Standing for a couple more seconds making small talk, she almost succumbed to the urge to reach out and smooth Neils hair where the little baby hands had made it stick up on end. She stopped herself by stuffing her hands in her pockets and thinking that the dishevelled look suited him well.

'I'm getting soft' she thought to herself before making her excuses to depart. "Try not to be Dr Day-care for too long" she said with a knowing smile. The instruction would fall on deaf ears and she was totally aware that Neil would take charge of the boy for as long as was needed. That was the softer side she loved in direct contrast to his usual arrogance.

"Yes Chief" he mocked, making the boy smile again before turning his attention back to his notes. She watched just a few seconds longer before turning and heading to her office at a good pace. She was feeling distracted and uneasy about something she couldn't quite put get finger on and she needed to think.

X

He had just woken with his alarm when his cell phone vibrated again across his nightstand. Stretching out to check the screen he frowned a little to see 'Can you come over this morning before you go in?' from Audrey scroll across the top of his screen.

'Sure. What's wrong?' he tapped back.

'Nothing, I need to talk to you' came the flat response.

'Okay. I'll bring breakfast' he replied wondering what on earth she could need from him right now. She had ended their relationship almost six weeks ago and despite that little moment of indecision, she hadn't shown any signs of changing her mind.

He had been missing her terribly and having to see her almost daily was testing his resolve. Maybe whatever this was about would give him some closure one way or another. Rolling out of bed to shower and dress, he left his house much earlier than usual to stop for coffee on the way.

After stopping for breakfast, he found himself stood outside her building, balancing a bag on a cup holder as he ungracefully pulled the door open and stepped inside. Climbing the stairs, he shook his head as he walked towards the door she had left ajar. He'd mentioned it more than once before about her leaving her door open for him but he guessed now, he didn't have a say so he nudged it open with his foot and peered inside.

"Audrey!?" he called into the dark apartment. "Where are you?"

"Be right out" she called. "Make yourself at home."

A few moments later, he heard her padding barefoot into the living space. She stepped up next to him and smiled as she picked up the coffee that he had brought. Holding it close to her chin, she took a deep breath in and then she spoke.

"We need to talk."

"We do?" he replied, curious as to what might be coming and trying not to feel to hopeful.

"We do" she confirmed. "I'm just not sure where to start."

"I do, can I start?" he said seriously, looking over at her. He hadn't looked at her properly yet this morning and she looked tired. "We made a mistake" he started. "We shouldn't have broken up. We have so much more than just love. We have respect, friendship and a whole of history. You probably know me better than I know myself."

She nodded in agreement and let out a little chuckle.

"I was wrong" he continued. "I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did as my Chief and I should have spoken to you more as my partner. I'm sorry I couldn't figure that out. I took my grief out on you instead of letting you help me. I left that baby without a mother, it broke my heart and I lashed out at the wrong person."

"Do you think we would do any better a second time around?" she asked him, sipping at her cup and savouring the flavour.

"I do" he nodded. "We'll still disagree, there is no doubt about that. But we'll handle it better."

"And do you think we should keep it under wraps this time?" she asked.

"No" he replied without even taking a moment to think. "I think that was part of the problem last time" he said, pausing before taking her hand. "We can do this" he said, smiling at her.

She smiled right back and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

"How do you manage to actually say what I'm thinking?" she asked him softly. "I wish I could say those words."

"A skill I've picked up over the years" he smirked, reaching over for the bag of breakfast he'd brought along with him.

"Would be a little harder to hide this time around anyway" she said, feeling a wave of nerves and doing her best not to show it.

"How's that?" he asked casually, unwrapping her breakfast burrito and sliding it towards her.

Her counter-action was to slide the small white stick across the counter towards him and watch as the realisation of what he was looking at dawned on his face.

"Really?" he asked, looking back and forth between her and the blue lines in the little display window.

"Really" she replied, smiling at his reaction. His mouth was agape and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" she smiled.

"Not freaking out, just a little bit?"

"Maybe a little bit" she said with a nervous laugh. "But if you're in, there is nobody else I'd want to do this with" she said softly.

"I'm all in" he replied with a grin. "There is nowhere I'd rather be."

**To the guest review that made this suggestion... thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This was meant to be posted for Christmas but I quite simply ran out of time. Didn't want to wait until next year so here it is anyway...**

**X**

The break up stuck for a while, a whole lot longer than anybody thought it would including the couple themselves. Months passed by and their bickering and sniping behaviour did not improve one bit to the point that Glassman had given them until the new year to sort themselves out or he would have to insist that one of them moved on.

The week coming up to Christmas was quiet in terms of scheduled surgeries and they were busy discharging the last few patients that were well enough in time for the holiday. There would obviously be a few patients remaining but the aim was to have a skeleton staff on the rota.

"You're looking very smart" Dr Browne commented as Dr Melendez walked up to the surgical nurses station and dropped off a couple of charts he had been working on in his office. He was dressed in a well cut charcoal suit, partnered with a black shirt, burgundy tie and matching pocket square.

"Thank you" he replied with a small smile.

"I agree, Dr Melendez. This suit is much nicer than your daily attire" Shaun added.

"Thanks Murphy" he smiled, knowing it was the closest thing to a compliment he would receive from the resident.

"Going anywhere nice?" Dr Lim asked as she joined them. She had been trying much harder to be more sociable with Neil since Glassman had given them their ultimatum. If one of them was made to leave the hospital, the separation would have been for nothing and she would have become estranged from the man she loved for no reason. The residents scurried away and busied themselves as their bosses stood aside by side. They could feel the tension in the air whenever those two were forced to interact and removed themselves from the situation whenever possible.

"I'm going to pick up Gabi and take her to church for the Christmas Eve service" he smiled. "My folks are out of town this year so I've got to be on time, especially after missing it last year. There is a party at her group home afterwards too, it's chaotic but it's good fun" he said with a shrug much to Audrey's amusement. To his surprise, she took a step towards him and absent mindedly reached out and straightened the knot in his tie.

"You should come with me" he blurted without a second thought.

"I don't think..." she started.

"Come on" he pressed, feeling a bit more brave. "You're just going to get takeout and go home otherwise."

She didn't reply. She looked at him trying to figure out what this invitation could mean and not finding any answers in those beautiful brown eyes, just more questions.

"We're both in here first thing tomorrow. It's not going to be a very wild party, I promise" he smiled. "The more the merrier?"

They were both on call for 36 hours from Christmas morning. The on-call surgery rota was one of great interest to all as everyone wanted the coveted 'big day' of to spend with their families and friends. Neil had opted to take his break on Christmas Eve, meaning he would be at St Bonaventure bright and early the next morning.

Audrey had approved the rota a few weeks ago before making one last minute change and publishing it. She swapped her name in for Dr Cooperberg who had drawn the short straw for the third year in a row but would now find himself spending Christmas day with his wife and children much to his delight.

"I don't have anything with me to wear and I don't want to make you late" she said, trying her best to excuse herself.

"You'd look great in a garbage bag. Just do it" he pushed. "It's been a year since the shittest Christmas ever. We should celebrate?"

"Church isn't really my thing" she said, trying to end the conversation while rapidly running out of excuses.

He shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "If you change your mind, I'll be heading out in about thirty minutes" he said with a certain finality, feeling equally parts hopeful and realistic. "I hope you do" he smiled before turning and heading back towards the elevators.

X

Twenty seven minutes later she found herself waiting by his car, leaning against the passenger door taking deep breaths telling herself over and over that this was the right decision. She heard footsteps approaching and resigned herself to the fact that it was too late to change her mind.

"Hi" he said as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Hi" she replied with a small smile. "I changed my mind" she said stating the obvious.

He just grinned as he took another step towards her.

"Neil...I..." she started before letting out a shaky breath as he reached around her and opened her car door, just as he had always done. "Thank you" she smiled, dropping down into the seat, not missing the smile on his face as he walked around to his side.

She hadn't quizzed him on the logistics of their jaunt this evening and she found herself quite at ease in his company as they drove to the group home to collect his sister.

Gabi was stood on the front steps with an attendant waiting for Neil to arrive. The smile on her face grew wide as she saw his car approach and the first seeds of doubt started to sew themselves in Audrey's head. What should she do? Should she get out with Neil? What was she thinking? The decision was taken out of her hands as Neil opened her door and held out his hand. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even notice him get out if the car.

"Come meet Gabi" he smiled, his eyes twinkling with such excitement she couldn't help but smile back.

After some brief introductions, they were all back in the car for the short trip to the nearby church that Gabi liked to attend. Audrey had situated herself in the backseat while Gabi sat in the passenger seat. She watched the exchanges between brother and sister with interest and a small smile on her face. She listened intently as Neil explained to Gabi where their parents were this evening and watched her clap her hands excitedly when he confirmed they would be staying for her party afterwards.

The journey was quick and as they pulled into the parking lot, Audrey gasped at the number of people already there.

"They do Midnight Mass later" Neil explained, catching her eye in the rear-view mirror. "Lots of families find this earlier service easier to get too, it's definitely better for us, right Gabi?" he smiled.

"Yes!" she agreed enthusiastically. "Let's go" she said unbuckling her belt and pulling her coat close around her ready to go.

They joined the crowds making their way into the church and Audrey followed a couple of steps behind smiling at them walking along, arms linked together. As they got closer to the door, it got busier again and Audrey was relieved when she felt a hand grasp hers.

"Don't want to lose you" he said over his shoulder with a smile.

"I'm not sure I won't catch on fire as I cross the threshold you know" she laughed nervously. "I'm a divorcee, remember?"

"You'll be fine" he said adjusting his grip and tangling their fingers together.

After stopping a few times to greet familiar faces, they got to their seats and settled down ready for the service to begin and with space at a premium, they found themselves sitting very close together. Their thighs were touching and she could feel a comforting heat radiating from him as the seats around them filled up quickly. A lady in the row in front turned to speak to the Melendez siblings briefly, asking after their parents before turning back to attend to her family.

"That's done it" Neil whispered in Audrey's ear, making her shiver. She looked at him and shrugged. "By the time we get out of here, my parents will have had a million messages telling them I've brought a girl to church" he grinned.

A look of panic must have crossed her face as she felt him give her thigh a reassuring squeeze and she found herself grabbing his hand and holding it there until the service started and he needed it to flick through the hymn book to the correct page for Gabi. After handing it to his sister, he did the same for Audrey and shrugged as he handed it to her.

"Just follow my lead" he smiled softly. "You won't get thrown out for not getting it right first time."

The service began and the congregation stood as the choir processed in and the first hymn began. After trying to follow the words on the page, she found herself distracted by Neil and Gabi both singing every word and loudly whether they were in tune or not. He glanced and caught her watching and grinned. During the next reprieve, he leaned over and whispered in her ear again.

"Don't judge, I can't sing" he laughed. "Not the same tune as everyone else anyway!"

'Finally something the amazing Neil Melendez can't do' she thought to herself as she continued to watch them.

The service went by quicker than she thought it would and in no time at all, she found herself stood to one side in a hall filled with people milling around before Neil reappeared from nowhere with a coffee.

"You didn't catch on fire" he said with a smirk as he held it out to her, smiling more widely as her fingers brushed his. "Have a little faith" he winked before leaning back against the wall next to her.

"Where's Gabi?" she asked after a short while.

"She likes to mingle" he replied. "We'll head out in about fifteen minutes and that when the party really gets started!"

"Can't wait" she said simply looking him straight in the eye. "Thanks for this. I didn't know I needed it."

"Any time" he said giving her hand a squeeze before pushing away from the wall and heading into the throng to find his sister.

"Hi! You must be Jessica" the lady said as she approached Audrey with a smile.

"Erm, sorry, no" she replied with grimace. "I'm Audrey."

"I thought Neil's fiancée was called Jessica?"

"She was" Audrey confirmed while wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole. "They separated over a year ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry" the lady replied, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Well, it's nice to meet you Audrey. Hopefully we'll see you again" she smiled before excusing herself and disappearing back into the crowd leaving Audrey wondering what had just happened.

X

Back at Gabi's a short while later, Neil hadn't been kidding when he said the party would be fun. There were decorations everywhere you looked and the biggest tree she'd ever seen in the foyer, stacked with gifts ready for the morning.

All the tables in the dining room were pushed to one end and groaned under the weight of the delicious smelling food. The space at the other end had been designated the dance floor and the Christmas music currently played quietly in the background.

The residents and their families gradually gathered in the communal areas and stood chatting, grazing along the buffet table and catching up with the staff members who were often treated as extended family.

She stood and watched as Neil and Gabi took a turn around the dance floor and smiled as she heard Gabi's laughter above the Michael Buble Christmas music that she was sure was on repeat.

"Hi Jessica, nice to finally meet you" she heard as one of the employees stepped up beside her.

"Ah, no" she replied. "I'm Audrey" she said for the second time that evening, offering her hand. "Neil and Jessica went their separate ways last year."

"Oh, I'm so sorry" the woman replied. "She never came by so we didn't know what she looked like. I'm so embarrassed" the woman blathered.

"It's fine" Audrey smiled.

She was saved from any further awkward conversation by the appearance of Gabi asking her if she wanted to dance. Hoping that she had masked her surprise, she gracefully accepted and allowed herself to be led into the middle of the floor. She thoroughly enjoyed spinning around to Jingle Bell Rock and on one of the circuits of the floor, she caught Neil's eye and held it until Gabi spun her around again. 

The hours passed quickly and the party wound up for the residents to turn in for the night. The buzz of excitement could be felt throughout the entire building and as Neil escorted Gabi to her room, Audrey waited in the foyer. She took a while looking at the decorations that adorned the branches of the tree, smiling at the individual touches that each resident had been able to add to the scene.

Moving closer to the door to wait, she found herself reading the framed certificates that lined the walls - certifications and qualifications on display and currently draped in tinsel. She didn't hear him come up beside her and let out an exclamation as he just kissed her right on the cheek. Turning on a sixpence, she was about to remind him that they didn't do that anymore when she saw him grinning.

"What" she asked?

"Look" he said, nodding upward.

She looked up and shook her head with a laugh. Mistletoe. Now she got it. She looked him straight in eye, wondering if she should kiss him back and wondering if she'd be able to stop once she started. As she made her decision and took a deep breath, another family bustled into the space and the moment was gone.

The car ride back to Audrey's was comfortable and relaxed. Any doubts she'd had on the trip out had been thoroughly quashed in the last few hours.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure" he replied, without taking his eyes from the road.

"Why did two people call me Jessica tonight?"

"What?!" he exclaimed, glancing over at her quickly, back to the road again and repeating the move a couple more times much to Audrey's amusement.

"One of the ladies at church called me Jessica" she started. "She thought I was your fiancée?"

"I'm so sorry I didn't introduce you" he said putting his hand out to take hers. "Jessica didn't do church, she never came" he said using her own words from earlier that evening.

"And one of the attendants at Gabi's home assumed the same?" she asked.

He groaned audibly and if he hadn't been driving she was sure he would have put his head in his hands.

"They only ever met at my parents place" he said, sounding flat. "There was always an excuse when I visited. I think the group home thing made her uncomfortable" he said.

"It's a wonderful place" Audrey said with a smile, wanting to pick up the mood again. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Like I said earlier. Any time" he smiled. "A thousand times better than last Christmas right?'

"Right" she laughed before they settled into another period of comfortable silence.

As they got closer to home, Audrey decided to take the plunge. They hadn't really talked about their break up since that moment in his office a short while later. Not being the best at talking about feelings, she wasn't sure where to start.

"I still love you" she blurted out much to his surprise. He glanced over at her to see her looking straight ahead at the traffic.

"I still love you too" he said softly with a smile.

Silence.

"I'm happy when I'm with you" she said plainly. "I mean, I'm generally happy anyway. But with you, it's just better."

"How much eggnog did you drink?" he smiled. "It always gets spiked, I should have warned you!"

"Asshat" she laughed. "I'm not drunk. Maybe a little high on Christmas spirit, but certainly not drunk."

"Good to know" he smiled reaching over and taking her hand again.

They sat in contemplative silence until they arrived on Audrey's street.

"Where'd all these cars come from?" Neil grumbled as he slowed down to look for a space.

"Family visitors I suppose" she replied. "Just stop here, I'll jump out" she suggested as he passed by the door to her building.

"Nope" he replied driving almost to the end if the block. "I'll walk you."

"I'm a big girl" she said as he manoeuvred his car into a space it shouldn't have really fitted into.

"I know" he said with a smile. "But I want to."

He walked around and opened her door as he had so many times before and held out his hand for her to pull herself up onto the sidewalk. She smiled to herself as their fingers tangled for the second time that evening and she felt at ease with how comfortable it felt.

The walk to her building would take a matter of minutes but neither of them wanted it to end. The evening had been busy and they hadn't spent every minute together but the whole thing had reminded them about the bits of each other they had fallen in love with in the first place.

"Thank you for coming tonight" he said as they reached her door and they turned to face each other.

"You were right, it was so much better than my takeout plans. Thank you" she replied.

They stood and looked at each other in silence. The street was quiet and the only movement was from twinkling Christmas lights in some of the houses around.

"Shall we try this again?" he said eventually, plucking up the courage to ask.

"Yes" she sighed, feeling a wave of relief walk over her. "I can't believe we put ourselves through this. This last year has sucked."

"It mostly has" he said, taking a step closer. "You can stop talking now" he smiled as he closed the last of the gap and kissed her softly.

He felt her relax as she draped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer and she gasped as he used the movement to guide her until her back was pressed against the wall.

Lost in each other for goodness knows how long, they only parted when the sound of a car unlocking further down the street broke the moment. They stood, foreheads together, breathing heavily, smiling goofily at each other.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. Yes I really do" he replied. "But not tonight... we need to do it differently this time around or we'll make the same mistakes again" he said hating every word as it came out of his mouth.

"Yes Dr Sensible" she said kissing him again. "I'll wait" she smirked.

"See you in the morning? Coffee?"

"It's a date" she chuckled.

"One more thing" he said, stepping closer again. He gently took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "Its gone midnight" he smiled as he stepped away. "Merry Christmas Audrey."

"Merry Christmas Neil" she replied before turning to let herself in.

He waited until the front door was closed, raised his hand to say goodbye and set off back down the street to his car. 'Best Christmas so far' he thought to himself as he walked with a spring in his step and a grin on his face and thinking nothing but good things about the year ahead. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for your prompt Megeen - hope this does it justice...**

X

He had been about to leave the hospital after a day of monotonous paperwork and prep work for a scheduled procedure taking place the following week. He was feeling tired, sleep hadn't been restful recently and he had been waking each day feeling as though he'd only caught a couple of hours. He couldn't wait to get out of here and that was not normal - Neil Melendez ate, slept and breathed St Bonaventure.

The call came just as he was packing up his bag. He had been tempted to ignore it, say he'd been away from his phone but his morals did not tally and he picked up the handset. The team discussed the procedure in haste as they raced to the operating theatre to scrub in. Dr Melendez and his team were about to perform an emergency triple bypass and there was no time to lose.

The patient was was Marla Teach, a 54 year old woman who owned her own small business and had always led a very active lifestyle. She ran the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon every year and kept her hand in over other similar events in between. She was a lean, mean running machine.

She had began to feel unwell over the last few weeks and when her cough and chest congestion wouldn't go away, her doctor suggested a routine stress test. The test would allow her doctor to see how her heart was functioning under stress. This way, any signs and symptoms of heart problems would be more pronounced and a diagnosis could be made. Marla was to completed her test on a treadmill that gradually increased in speed and grade.

Her heart rate and blood pressure were recorded throughout and along with the information obtained from the EKG, her doctor raised his concerns. With the problems commonly found through a stress test ranging from abnormal heart rhythms to the presence of coronary artery disease he referred Marla for a more intensive nuclear stress test which would take place at St Bonaventure.

The nuclear stress test would use a radioactive dye and an imaging machine to create pictures showing the blood flow to her heart. The test was to measure blood flow while Marla was at rest and then while she was exerting herself and would show up any areas with poor blood flow or damage inside the organ.

When Marla stepped on the treadmill for the exercise part of the test, she had no idea of the drama that would follow. She suffered a cardiac arrest and the next thing she aware of, she was on the ground. Luckily the closest nurse caught her and lowered her gently before she fell completely to the ground. Her heart had stopped beating and blood was no longer flowing through her body.

Without immediate treatment, a cardiac arrest is fatal so Marla's test team went to work using CPR and an external defibrillator to get her heart beating again. Once she was stabilized, they sent her for a transradial heart catheterization right away. During this procedure, Dr Melendez used an artery in the arm as an access point to find any blockages that required treatment. In finding three blocked arteries, there was no time to lose and Marla was heading into surgery.

X

The Coronary artery bypass graft surgery would usually last between three and six hours and because Marla required three replacements, they were looking at the higher end of the scale. Dr Melendez chose to harvest the new blood vessels from the saphenous vein in her leg and the internal mammary artery in her chest. "There are plenty of other vessels in those areas that can compensate for the flow" he said to the residents who were watching with interest.

Once all the graft vessels were ready, Dr Melendez made a decisive cut down the middle of her chest so they could divide her sternum and access her heart. After connecting her to a heart-lung bypass machine her heart was stopped while the team attached the new grafts to divert the blood flow around the blocked arteries.

They all watched quietly as they applied internal shocks required to restart her heart and let out a collective sigh as the organ began to function. No matter how many of these procedures they did, that moment of tension would always be there. The final hurdle.

Happy with the outcome, Melendez stepped back and announced that his residents could now close. They would seal the breastbone using permanent metal wires and close the skin using dissolvable stitches.

As he stepped back out into the scrub room, his shoulders slumped. He was now officially exhausted but had at least another hour to go writing up the patient notes before he could leave. After scrubbing out and throwing some cold water on his face, he stood up straight and looked at himself in the mirror hanging above the sinks. Shaking his head at what he saw, he stood up straight, adjusted his scrubs and headed out to update the family with a smile on his face.

X

"Yeah?" he grumbled as he eventually picked up his cell and swiped to accept the call that persistently rang and rang until it pierced his deep sleep. "Hello?"

"It's me" she said bluntly. "Sorry to call you, I know you're exhausted after today but I need your help. Please."

"Of course" he said, sitting up against the headboard and rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"

"Don't freak out..." she started. An inevitable way to get a person to do the exact opposite of what they are advised.

"Why would I freak out?" he asked, sitting up a little straighter and sounding on edge.

"I said not to" she said with a grimace. "Can you come give me a ride home please?"

"Sure" he replied, sounding relieved. "Had one too many, have we? Where are you?"

"San Jose General" she said quickly bracing herself for the interrogation she knew was incoming.

"What the..." he snapped. "Why? Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine" she replied. "I promise, I'm fine. But I do need a ride. They won't discharge me until I have someone pick me up" she said. "I know it's a lot to ask, and I would ask Laura but the baby has been teething badly these last few days and I didn't want to disturb her sleep... not that I want to disturb yours but... you know?" she said eventually tapering off and allowing him to get a word in.

"I'm on my way" he said softly. "Sit tight."

"Thank you Neil" she replied. He could hear her smiling in her words.

"Never a problem" he said before hanging up the phone and dragging himself off to get dressed.

X

He drove the twenty minutes to San Jose General with the windows open and the radio playing some upbeat tunes to keep himself awake. It was quite his luck recently that the one night of decent sleep he was getting was interrupted but there was no way he could say no to her.

Finding a space in the parking lot, he headed in through the main doors, making his way into the Emergency Room. He could hear her before he saw her and smiled to himself while he stood outside the curtain as she took her frustrations out on the young officer who had been tasked with educating her on how to ride a motorcycle safely.

"Oh I'm sorry officer, I really didn't know I needed to do that" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The young man had simply informed her that she should leave ample space in front of her at a stop light to avoid front damage if she was rear-ended again.

"Thank you Ma'am" he replied, not noticing her tone, or just choosing to ignore it. "We'll be in touch" he said briefly before excusing himself and stepping outside to see Neil waiting patiently with an amused look on his face.

"Knock knock" Neil called before stepping inside. "Are you decent?"

"Get in here" she growled. "Asshat" she mumbled with a small smile as their eyes met.

"Hey, this asshat is your ticket out of here" he smirked. "Be nice!"

Her face softened and he stepped up to the side of the trolley, quashing the urge to take her hand as she lay there looking vulnerable.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Got rear-ended by an idiot at the stop light on Herbert Way" she said. "He's wrecked my bike and sprained my ankle while he just waltzed away without a scratch" she said, sounding sad.

"That's lucky, it could have been worse" Neil said, hoping it would console her. He knew she loved that bike more than anything, even more than him on occasion. "Can it be repaired?"

"No idea yet" she replied. "They've towed it so I have to wait and see. It's definitely off the road for a while" she sighed.

"Looks like you'll be getting another bus pass then" he teased, determined to get a genuine smile from her. "Or we could carpool?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea" she replied seriously. "You know, after..."

"You can't get a bus while you're using crutches" Neil replied flatly. "How long until you can get out of here?" he said changing the subject.

"They won't discharge me unless I have an escort in case of concussion" she said. "Just say your staying with me tonight and my insurance company will be happy."

"Whatever you need" he said. "Want me to call someone so we can get going?"

"Yes, please" she said with a smile.

X

"He's going to stay with me" Audrey said to the nurse discharging her, taking Neil's hand and giving it a squeeze to add to the act.

"And you know the symptoms to look out for?" the nurse asked him, earning herself an amused smirk from them both. "I know" the nurse remarked, 'but it's a standard form" she said with a smile knowing exactly who she was taking too.

"We're good" Neil replied, looking at Audrey and holding her gaze a little longer than was necessary. "I'll keep an eye on her. Have you got a spare compression wrap we can put on after she showers?"

"Sure. I have to tell you not to put your full weight on that ankle for a couple of days. We'll give you some crutches to help you keep your balance" the nurse said. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you" they chimed together looking at each other with amusement as they were left alone.

"Where's your stuff?"

"What stuff?"

"Helmet? Bag?"

"Helmet went with the bike. Bag is over there" she said pointing to a chair tucked back in the corner. "Shit" she exclaimed suddenly, startling him slightly.

"Sorry" he replied automatically thinking that leaning on the bed as he walked around had nudged her injury.

"That's fine" she said with a brief smile before a serious look crossed her face again. "But I don't have any pants" she said flatly.

He held up her bike leathers with a curious look.

"I had to beg them not to cut them off me earlier. There is no way they'll go back on right now" she sighed. "Just when I thought I'd managed to keep a little dignity during this whole thing."

"Wait here" he said before disappearing outside the curtain.

"Not much choice in that" she called after him with a grin.

Waiting a good ten minutes, Audrey was beginning to wonder where on earth he could have got to when he burst back in brandishing a fresh pair of scrub trousers.

"Here you go" he smiled before handing them to her and promptly turning his back.

"You could step outside" she suggested.

"Because that's what all boyfriends do when their girlfriends get dressed" he said quietly over his shoulder.

Thirty minutes later, they were ready to leave. Discharge papers were signed, prescriptions were dispensed and the support boot was fitted. Neil picked up all her belongings and she gathered the crutches ready to stand for the first time.

He couldn't help but let out a little laugh as he watched her take her first tentative steps. "You remind me of Bambi" he said quietly, earning himself a scowl, quickly followed by a smile.

"Asshat" she mumbled before thanking the nurse as she passed by.

"Our pleasure Dr Lim, but I do hope not to see you back here again" she smiled. "You're lucky to have some one watching out for you Dr Lim. He's a keeper" the nurse said quietly as Audrey attempted to offer her hand in gratitude.

"He is" she replied, pausing a few seconds before starting to move again.

"Want me to bring the car around" Neil asked casually as they passed the admin desk on their way to the door. "The parking lot is quite a walk.'

"Yes please" she replied watching as he walked on ahead, her motorbike leathers casually slung over his shoulder and swinging her bag in time with his steps.

She reached the exit before he arrived and leaned against the wall gently. She didn't dare sit on the benches as getting up again wouldn't have been an easy task. Standing, thinking, she had a distinct feeling of deja vu as he pulled up to the kerb - a throwback to leaving the hospital those months ago, just before the happiest few weeks of her life.

He had opened her door and called her name to snap her from her reverie and she couldn't help but smile at him. A wide, genuine smile that made her eyes light up and as she stepped towards him, she noticed it mirrored on his face.

"I've been waiting to see that smile since I got here" he said quietly, helping her down into her seat and closing her door before she could think of a reply.

The ride to Audrey's place was quiet and when they arrived, the same scene played in reverse. He parked kerb side and helped her out of her seat, steadying her as she wobbled a little, placing his hands gently on her hips.

"Sorry" he said, pulling them away quickly when she caught his eye.

"It's fine" she replied, sure that he'd felt the same shock as her at the unsolicited contact.

She had a head start to the front door as he got her belongings from the trunk but he caught up with her easily, passing her and putting the key in the lock before she arrived.

"Show off" she said with a mock glare as she passed through the door he was holding for her earning herself another one of those grins she was sure he reserved just for her.

The process repeated itself at the front door to her apartment and Audrey was quite sure he was enjoying this a little too much.

"Where are you going?" she called after him as soon as they got inside to his retreating form as he walked off into her bedroom.

Following him at her own pace, she found him rearranging the cushions and linens on her bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You need to elevate your ankle, remember _Dr Lim_" he questioned. "And I'll need a pillow for the couch."

"Why?"

"You told the discharge nurse I was staying?"

"Just so I could get out of there" she said, regretting the words as soon as they left her lips. He closed his eyes and sighed. He looked disappointed.

"Sure, okay" he said bluntly turning back to her bed, rearranging it a little more before he was happy with the set up. He hadn't been expecting anything when he showed up to collect her, he'd tried not to read too much into her call, but he thought he'd felt something. Each time they touched, that spark was still there and he knew she felt it too. "I guess I misunderstood the situation. I'll sort your meds and I'll get going."

"I'm sorry" she said as she managed to shuffle over and block his exit.

"What for?"

"Calling you, giving you the wrong idea" she replied saying what she thought was sensible. Another mistake.

"You could have called plenty of other people" he said, looking at her with those sad eyes. "Browne, Reznick... even Murphy has a license. They all would have come for you. Why me?"

She looked down at the ground trying to find the right words, finding her feet particularly interesting. "Because I needed you" she mumbled so quietly, he couldn't hear her clearly.

"What did you say?"

"Because I needed you" she said, lifting her head and speaking with confidence. "I had a real fright, I was in pain and my first thought was of you."

"Needed or need?" he asked. She looked at him feeling confused. "Needed or need?" he repeated, wanting an answer.

"Need" she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. And with that single word, he kissed her. Gently, caressing her cheek and smiling as her eyes closed and she kissed him back.

"I'm going to go get your meds, get into bed" he said softly as they parted, leaving her to get ready.

Putting the water and the pills on her nightstand, he turned to pick up the spare pillow he'd discarded in frustration a little earlier.

"I'm staying" he said in his most authoritative tone.

"No" she replied. "Not out there your not" she said, "you can sleep on your side?"

He smiled, nodded and walked around while she threw the cover back ready.

X

No one batted an eyelid when they arrived at work together a couple of days later. Audrey was insistent that there was plenty she could do while keeping her foot elevated so he drove her to the hospital for the start of his shift.

He carried her bag over his shoulder as he walked in step with her as she limped through the foyer awkwardly in her boot - she had to keep it on for another ten days to keep the ligaments and joints in place while they healed. It provided plenty of protection and helped reduce the pain but it limited her motion so much that she finally agreed to the car share.

The night he'd stayed with her, they'd talked a lot. They talked about what had happened between them, they bickered a little about the best way forward, discussed their future plans and they both slept soundly.

On waking, she found she hadn't moved much during the night, her ankle was still safely nestled in the pile of cushions he'd built for herbut he had definitely gotten closer. Not as close as he used too but his arm was draped gently over her midriff and his head was on the very edge of her pillow. Looking at him for a moment before giving him a gentle nudge to wake him, she thought 'I love him'.

"Hi" he mumbled sleepily, without opening his eyes. "You okay?"

"Never better, apart from the foot of course" she replied smiling at him. "You?"

"Best sleep I've had in weeks" he said as he stretched and rubbed his hands over his face. "I love you today" he said as their eyes met.

"I love you too" she smiled, feeling a thousand times better already.


	6. Chapter 6

I think I'm going to take my own winter hiatus on both Reunited and In The Beginning. I'm feeling tired and I'm not enjoying myself writing them as much as I was. They are beginning to become a chore and that's not how I want it to be!

I've been doing this almost a year and have written almost 230,000 words in total - that's more than both my thesis put together! I've still got an overactive imagination and am a huge closet romantic so will write more... this is just me hitting pause 🙂

See you in a little while 🙂 


	7. Chapter 7

**Did a deal with themintjournal and here's the payout! **

X

Standing at the window, he watched as she stood staring at the tablet screen with such focus and determination that he couldn't bear to disturb her. This case was pushing her team to their limits and they were all running out of time. The patients fluids were building up at such a rate, that his condition was going to kill him, and soon.

He sighed and turned away just as she looked up to see him pause on the spot, she would recognise that outline anywhere. She wondered if he had been looking for her or just passing by. It would be great to share the excitement of this case with him. She knew he would be enthralled by the medical mystery but her shoulders slumped when she saw him start to walk away.

He pressed the call button for the elevator more aggressively than he should have, trying to vent some of his frustrations. Stepping inside, he was relieved to see it empty and slumped against the wall while he waited for it to take him to the higher floors. He turned the small plastic box around and around in his hands nervously deliberating his next move. Stepping out onto the landing, he paused. Turning right would take him to his office and left would direct him to hers, nestled away at the furthest point of the wing. He obviously knew she wasn't there but while he was feeling bold and in love he allowed himself to be influenced by the angel on his shoulder as opposed to the devil he'd been listening to way to much recently.

He smiled to himself as he approached when he saw her assistants desk empty. It meant he could get in, place the delicate arrangement front and centre on her desk with no witnesses. He was hoping that it would be obvious it was from him and that it would start a conversation they really needed to have. Probably wishful thinking, but since most of the day had been spent discussing young love he was in a buoyant mood, he thought it was worth the risk.

Mission completed, he ducked into the locker room a couple of floors down to freshen up, change his shirt and pick up his tie before heading back to the surgical ward for the final preparations.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed as he stepped straight off the elevator and right into her. He had been concentrating so much on straightening the knot of his tie, that he hadn't been looking where he was going and her eyes were still glued to that tablet screen.

"It's fine" she said with a small smile, it was nice to see him excited. He had been a little quiet since they separated and she could see that this event that Claire had put together had raised his spirits despite the precarious surgery ahead. "You look very smart" she said. "I hope Angie and Ryan enjoy."

"You should come" he said, holding on to the hopeful feeling from the last few hours. "Dr Browne has done a great job, you'd never recognize the atrium" he smiled.

"I can't" she replied without pause. "I've got..." she said holding up the tablet. Her eyes looked down at the wonky knot he was currently sporting and she gave a small smile. "You need to... just...come here" she started before pushing the tablet into his hands and stepping towards him.

Standing right at the boundaries of their personal space, she gently took his tie in both hands and loosened it a little before tidying the knot and pulling it tight again. Once she was happy, she brushed her hands across his shoulders removing some imaginary lint and for a good moment, they stood quietly, just looking at each other.

She missed him and he missed her but at this point they were both too stubborn to say anything to remedy that so on they went. They were stuck in a downward spiral and putting more and more distance between them despite themselves. They were snapped back to reality when the elevator doors behind them opened and they moved quickly to one side to give the trolley and attending staff space to pass.

"It'll be fun?" he said, pushing gently now that the moment had passed.

"I really can't, this guys lypodema is out of control. I need to go check on the fish" she said, taking the tablet back from him quickly.

"Fish?" he asked.

"I'll explain later" she said reaching around him and pressing the call button.

"Sure" he said disappointedly. "Later" he repeated before stepping away and heading back to the ward.

She watched him go with mixed feelings. She had an urge to change her mind and call him back but as those elevator doors sounded she remembered the task in hand. Stepping inside, she pressed her button harder than she needed too, feeling frustrated at the situation they had found themselves in. Signing, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She needed to go check on her patient before checking in on those damn fish.

X

She was smiling to herself that the treatment decision Dr Lever had made was working so well. The patient had responded quickly to the medication and she felt that she could pass by the Prom guilt free and stepped into the elevator with a spring in her step.

As she approached the atrium, she smiled at the crowds that had gathered. The decorations were beautiful, and it looked so peaceful and serene. Peering through the door, she could see straight across to the other side and saw Angie and Ryan take to the floor. Their smiles were infectious and she looked on with pride at the lengths her resident had gone to for this young couple who were so obviously in love.

What she witnessed next, made her heart lurch and little. She watched as Neil held out his hand to Dr Browne and gave a little bow before she accepted it and they stepped towards the dancefloor. He was smiling widely and twirled her around before they settled into the beat of the music and began moving in sync.

She had seen enough.

As she headed back to her office, a million thoughts raced through her mind but she settled on one. How happy he looked dancing with someone that wasn't her. She wanted to get out of there and blow away those thoughts on her bike but had a million bits of admin to do first.

Throwing her office door open, she flinched when it banged against the doorstop but that didn't stop her slamming it shut behind her. She was rubbing her eyes as she flopped down onto her chair, immediately turning to look out of the window behind her. It was dark out so all she could see was her reflection looking back at her.

Tired.

Alone.

Sighing, she spun her chair back around, ready to fire up her computer when she saw it. A plastic box containing a beautiful little arrangement of a single red rose and a single white rose surrounded by delicate baby's breath. She picked it up and turned it around in her hands, looking for a note or a tag to say where it had come from despite the fact that she already knew.

Shaking her head, she silently scolded herself for her earlier thoughts. She had felt a surge of jealousy watching Neil dance with Dr Browne but it seemed she had no reason to be. Placing it gently to one side she felt positive and more motivated to get this work done. The sooner she was finished, the sooner she could try and catch up with him.

Just an hour later, she was done. She triumphantly closed the lid of her laptop with a flourish and stuffed it into her backpack before picking up the plastic tub again. Smiling to herself she put it gently into the top of her pack and zipped it closed before slinging it over her shoulder. With her jacket in her hand she headed out, treating her office door with a bit more respect this time around. She bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet as she waited for the elevator which seemed to be taking an eternity. She watched as the numbers slowly ticked by and gave up... it was only two floors to the locker rooms. The stairs would be quicker.

For the second time that day, they collided as she threw open the door of the stairwell as he came out of the nearby locker room.

"Sorry" they chimed in unison, smiling at each other.

_'She must have been back to her office by now'_ he thought, wondering if she was going to mention the gift.

_'Where is he going dressed like that' _she thought as she looked him up and down taking in his extremely casual attire.

Before either of them could say anything, Dr Browne came bouncing out of the ladies locker room dressed in her running gear and Audrey's imagination kicked into overdrive.

"Ready to go?" Dr Browne blurted sounding excited, not seeing Audrey right away. "Oh, sorry Dr Lim, I'll just go wait..." she said nodding her head in a general direction and moving away.

"You're going running? Now?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah" he replied. "She's been opening up to me a bit the last week or so. I think running will help her de-stress some more" he said casually, not noticing anything untoward.

"Right" she replied, her face expressionless and just nodding.

"I saw you come by the prom" he smiled softly. "You should have stayed for a dance."

She felt a surge of frustration and couldn't help but frown at him. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself just fine without me" she said instantly feeling like a churlish child but not being able to engage her brain to mouth filter.

He didn't grace her with a response but simply took a step closer, looking at her intently. He wasn't expecting it, but it had completely the opposite effect to what he had hoped.

She stepped back away from him.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" she mumbled. "Don't want to keep your running buddy waiting."

"Aud?"

"I'll catch up with you another time" she said bluntly in an attempt to dismiss him.

"You're not fine" he whispered. "I asked you a million times to run with me and you said no every time" he said quietly hoping to understand her sudden change in mood while trying not to draw to much attention to what he thought could become another public argument.

"I just don't like running, I like getting physical just fine. I just prefer to stand and fight" she said a little aggressively.

"Well you didn't stand and fight for us" he snapped to his surprise and hers. The sting in his words caused her to stutter on whatever she was going to say next. She wasn't expecting that. Saying nothing more, he turned in his heel and walked away, passing Dr Browne who had witnessed the whole exchange with obvious discomfort. She looked over at Audrey with an unsure look before turning and following Neil out of the door.

X

As he pulled up on his driveway a good while later, he was surprised to a solitary figure sitting on his front step. She was holding the plastic box with the flower arrangement on her knees with an unreadable look on her face.

He had showered and changed back into his suit in work but had stopped for groceries on the way home so goodness knows how long she had been there. He popped the trunk to get his bags and walked slowly up the path towards the door. He was in no rush for another confrontation, so she could wait a little while longer.

She stood as he approached but didn't say a word. Stepping around her, he unlocked his door and went inside leaving it ajar and letting her decide whether to follow him.

The front door clicked shut and he looked up to see that she had come inside. She crossed the hallway and into the kitchen, standing at the end of the counter while he moved efficiently around the space unpacking his wares.

After putting a few pieces in the refrigerator, he emerged with two beers and after popping the gold foil cap, he put one down in front of her.

"Thanks" she said, her words sounding louder than she intended and finding they echoed around the still space. The fact she accepted the beer meant that she was intending on staying at least a little while and the flicker of hope he'd been carrying all day came back.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, giving her a small smile as she shook her head.

She watched him intently as he moved, gathering what he needed and preparing the ingredients. He seemed to just throw everything together and a short while later, he put a steaming plate in front of her. It was just some grilled chicken with vegetables but she couldn't help take a deep breath as the aroma of whatever he'd used as seasoning hit her nostrils.

They sat on the bar stools, shoulder to shoulder and ate in a peaceful silence.

"This is great" she announced about half way through the meal. "How do you manage to make such ordinary things taste so good?"

"Things don't need to be over complicated to be great" he said seriously.

"Are you talking about dinner or about us?" she asked, glancing over at him amused by the smirk on his face as he scooped up the next forkful.

"You want to talk about us?" he asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Yes" she replied quite plainly.

"I wasn't expecting that" he said sitting up, very interested in where this conversation was now going.

"I'm sorry" she said, deciding that she'd start.

"I'm sorry" he replied, his eyes soft and his face serious.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked. "I finished it and pushed you away." Her words were very too the point but he expected nothing else.

"I could have pushed back" he replied, putting down his fork and resting his hand gently next to hers on the counter, fingers touching lightly.

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't really know" he replied. "Maybe I thought it would all figure itself out and we'd just end up being drawn back together like we have been over the years."

"Looks like we have some work to do" she sighed, taking a draw from the slightly warm bottle.

"This talking is good" he smiled. "I know it's not your favourite thing to do..."

"It isn't" she interrupted. "But we're going to have to compromise if we want to try this again."

"Do you want to try again?"

"I do."

"Good" he said with a smile. "I need to apologise for what I said to you earlier."

"Not really" she said, sadly. "You were right. I didn't fight for us and I've regretted it every day since" she said.

"We've both made mistakes here" he said, moving his hand to cover hers and giving it a squeeze.

"We'll make more, you know?" she said, a reminder of why they separated in the first instance. "But we'll do better."

"No doubt" he smiled.

She paused for a moment, trying to decide whether to even approach the subject that was playing on her mind and it didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning to face her.

She was about to say 'nothing' but she didn't want this to fester.

"I need to tell you something" she started.

"Sure" he replied, waiting patiently.

"I was jealous earlier" she said quietly. "When you were dancing with Claire."

"Really? Why?"

"You looked so... happy" she said, looking back down at her plate. "And I wished that it was me."

"I was happy" he replied. "Happy that the kids got their prom. Happy that Claire seemed to be having a good day. You're Chief. You know what's been going on with her" he said.

She nodded.

"Nothing more going on than an attending providing guidance to a resident" he continued. "Not all of them respond to the same way of teaching and I'm glad I've figured out a way to connect with her. She's too nice and needs to toughen up a bit if she's going to make it in the big leagues."

"And the running after hours?" she asked.

"Healthy body, healthy mind" he replied with a shrug. "She talks more freely when we run."

"I didn't like seeing you dance like that" she mumbled, thinking she sounded childish.

"Dancing like that? You could have parked a bus in between us. Hardly like we used to dance" he said, teasing her and getting a chuckle from her with a wide, genuine smile. "Do you honestly think I'd tell you I love you then forget about it that quickly?"

"No" she said, "I know your word is good. It was just a crappy feeling and now I know better" she said nudging his shoulder with her own.

"Do you wanna dance now?" he asked hopefully, with a lopsided smile.

"I do" she said, turning on the barstool towards him.

"Hang on" he replied, holding up his finger to stop her getting a surprised look in return. He stepped around the other side of the counter and rummaged around in the paper bag containing the last of the groceries. He emerged triumphantly holding his tie and after taking a moment to smooth it out and retie it, he grinned at her.

Next, he picked up the plastic box containing her corsage and nodded at her to come closer. As she slid down from the barstool, he gently took her hand, slipping the band around her wrist, kissing the back of her hand before stepping away a second time.

"Music" he said with a laugh at her look of confusion.

She nodded and let out a shaky breath.

He stood a few seconds looking for the one he wanted, grinning when he saw the title flash up. Opting to play it through the speakers dotted around the sleek living space, a few more seconds passed but soon the first few notes of the percussion introduction started he turned with a soft smile.

He walked towards her holding out his hand, giving her one last chance to change her mind. She didn't hesitate to take it but was surprised when he pulled her right into his embrace so they touched from almost head to toe. No formal prom dancing here tonight.

_'Fly me to the moon  
Let me sing among those stars'_

The words sounded over the sound system as they relaxed into each others embrace.

"I thought this was going to be one of your cheesy country songs" she whispered in his ear making him shiver.

"Maybe later" he whispered back as they danced cheek to cheek.

_'Let me see what spring is like  
On Jupiter and Mars_

_In other words, hold my hand  
In other words, baby kiss me'  
_

During the instrumental, he pushed her out to arms length before spinning her around a few times and pulling her close again, both laughing as they came back together quite ungracefully.

_'Fill my heart with song  
Let me sing for ever more  
You are all I long for  
All I worship and adore_

_In other words, please be true  
In other words, I love you'  
_

As the last "_you_" sounded, he dropped her into an exaggerated dip knowing the response he would get. An incoherent snort, and an accusation that he was a romantic sap, both of which made him grin from ear to ear.

"But I'm your romantic sap" he said, leaning in and kissing here softly. "Don't forget that."


	8. Chapter 8

They had broken up almost a fortnight ago and the second thoughts she had been trying hard to suppress were rearing their ugly heads today.

She was in a bad mood, fuelled by the fact that everyone around her seemed to be waxing lyrical about love, romance and the fact that this particular Friday was St Valentine's Day. The shops had been filled with cards, tacky gifts and overpriced flowers to celebrate some guy from centuries ago who defied his ruler to do whatever he wanted and was dealt swift and bloody justice when he was caught.

What was to celebrate about that!

With all the talk of love, her thoughts couldn't help but turn to Neil. According to the rules, the relationship between them had been wrong but it had been right in every other way and she had actually wondered what this day would have been like if they were still together. Would she have grumbled as he insisted on being overly romantic, making her cringe while he showered her with tokens of his affection? Or would he have been able to suppress his natural instincts by not smothering her and showing how well he really knew her by playing it cool despite himself?

I guess, thanks to her decision, she'd never know.

"Happy Valentine's Day" Park chimed as he and Reznick approached while she stood lost in thought at the admin desk in the Emergency Room.

"Save it, it's not a public holiday" she snapped before handing them the patient record she had been reviewing and stalking away towards the elevators.

"Guess it's a touchy subject" Reznick said rolling her eyes. "Let's get this done" she stated, before turning to head towards curtain six for their consult.

As the doors were about to close, she heard a desperate sounding voice call out to hold the elevator. She pressed the hold button and a second or two later, a massive bunch of flowers appeared, totally obscuring the delivery guy behind them.

"Sorry!' the guy exclaimed. "Excuse me" he said as he edged in next to Audrey. "Busy day" he smiled, attempting to make small talk.

"I bet" Audrey said with a grimace.

"Are you Dr Elwood? These could be yours?"

"I'm not" she said bluntly looking up and wishing the numbers would pass by more quickly. As the doors opened on the fifth floor for someone to get in, she exited despite it being two floors down from where she needed to be. She would take the stairs the rest of the way and hope not to run into him again.

Getting to her office in record time, she greeted her assistant, closed the door behind her and went straight to the sideboard to set her coffee machine to go. Despite her high status, she was not about to start asking people to make coffee for her.

Turning to her desk, the little brown box caught her eye. There was no label, no fancy wrapping and no obvious sign of where it had come from. Opening the lid, she drew in a sharp breath. The smell from inside assaulted her senses and she closed her eyes and took a deeper breath.

Fresh white chocolate macadamia nut cookies - one of her favourites. She knew right away where these had come from and the thought of sending them back crossed her mind before she let out a huff and sat down to enjoy one with her coffee.

X

The rest of her morning had been uneventful. She had spent the remainder of it in a budget meeting and was slowly walking back to her office for the second time that day.

Her assistant was away from her desk this time around and she was disappointed. They had developed a little routine that involved her having lunch ready for her after epic meetings such as these but it looked like she'd forgotten today. Scanning her desk in hope she'd left a little something, she sighed before breaking a banana from the bunch in the small waiting area and stepping towards her office door.

'That will have to do' she thought to herself.

For the second time that day, she saw a brown package on her desk. She smiled widely thinking that Annette had remembered her after all and she sat down pulling it towards her.

Unfolding the brown paper bag, she peered in expecting the sub of the day from the cafeteria downstairs. Reaching inside and carefully unwrapping her lunch, she stopped, placed it gently on the napkin and sat back in her seat.

It was a cold grilled cheese wrapped carefully in waxy paper. Just like she used to eat every day for the first two years of her residency before she branched out into cafeteria food.

It could only have been him and she found herself wavering again. All those second thoughts were bubbling to the surface and telling her how much of a mistake she'd made. She briefly considered wrapping it back up and throwing it in the trash but she was hungry. And as with everything he cooked, his grilled cheese sandwiches were wonderful.

While eating her lunch, she came to a decision. She was going to tell him to stop. These feelings were getting confusing and distracting and she would tell him that as they were leaving tonight.

Only she didn't.

She could see him heading out the front doors just as she started her descent down the staircase into the lobby but he was too far ahead for her to catch up without running. She was certainly not going to be caught running after anyone in public! She would go for a ride to clear her head and speak to him on Monday.

X

"Hi" he exclaimed pulling the door wide open with a smile not expecting to see the individual that was actually stood on his doorstep at 9pm this Friday night.

"Hi" she replied, a little taken back at his over zealous greeting.

"Sorry, we were expecting the pizza delivery" he said, explaining why he was holding a few bills out towards her.

_'We'_ she registered, _'he has company.' _Her attention was drawn to the voices in the background and she began to feel that she shouldn't be there.

"You gonna pay the guy, I'm hungry!" Someone called from further inside.

"It's not the pizza" he called back. "It's..."

"I shouldn't have just shown up like this, I'm sorry" she interrupted as she stepped back and turned to walk away. "I didn't know you had company."

"Hang on" he replied, following her out and letting the door close behind him, muting the raucous laughter of the visitors inside. "It's just some of the guys. We all found ourselves at a bit of a loose end" he said, trying to explain.

"You don't need to explain to me" she said with a soft smile. "You can do whatever you like" she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked. "Just some friendly poker and pizza."

"I shouldn't" she replied.

"But you could?" he smiled, feeling confident after a couple of bourbons.

"I could" she said smiling back at his goofy face. "You sure I won't be cramping your style?"

"I'm sure" he said, holding out his hand. "Come on?"

She paused.

He waited.

She looked back and forth between his handsome face and his extended hand and decided that it was worth the risk. She linked her fingers with his and followed him inside.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" they heard from behind them just as they were about to cross the threshold. He sighed and reluctantly let go of her hand as the pizza delivery person actually arrived with dinner. He paid the young lady with the crumpled bills he'd hastily stuffed in his pocket a few minutes earlier and took the two boxes she had been holding. It meant that their little gesture had passed by for now but it had been a good sign.

"About time!"

"It had better not be cold!"

"You invited the delivery girl in?" were the responses they received as they arrived in the kitchen.

"Shut up" Neil said in a blanket response. "This is Audrey. She's going to join us."

"Audrey?" the tall, fair man stood closest said, raising his eyebrow. "As in, _'The Audrey'_?"

"Yes" Neil replied abruptly, shutting down the teasing before it could really begin. "Don't be fooled by what you see. She'll probably clean you out!"

"How's your credit line?" asked a guy sat at the table, shuffling the cards.

"Perfect" she smiled as she put her helmet gently on the end if the counter with a smirk. She could take some teasing just fine.

"Most important question" said the last guest. "What do you think of this music?"

She paused a moment to listen before rolling her eyes when she heard some twangy guitar sounds playing quietly in the background.

"Awful" she replied, shrugging at Neil.

"Traitor" he smiled, shaking his head. "Fine, change the music" he said to the group before heading towards the refrigerator.

"Out-voted! Thank you Audrey, you can stay" the card dealer grinned as the other guys took their seats back around the table.

"Beer?" Neil asked peering at her around the refrigerator door. "Something stronger?"

"Soda please" she replied. "Driving" she said nodding at her motorcycle helmet.

"Sure. Here you go" he said holding out a can and smiling as their fingers touched for longer than was necessary.

"You guys going to be joining us!?" came the call from the table, jolting them from their little moment.

"Sure" they said in unison before taking their seats around the table.

X

Around 90 minutes later, it was just Audrey and Neil left in the game. Sat opposite each other, they both maintained stony faces and oozed calmness. The dealer was looking back and forth between them as the pot in the middle of the table grew and grew.

The other two players had excused themselves a few hands ago and were now watching from the barstools with great interest. They were glad their friend wasn't being a soft touch after Audrey had pretty much cleaned them out but they weren't sure how much longer he would last.

With the last of his chips in the middle of the table, Neil sat back with a thoughtful look before placing his cards face down on the table and smirking at her.

"I'll raise you" he said unclipping his beloved Panerai and placing it gently on top of the pile.

The friends looked between them with equal parts confusion and amusement. He loved that watch more than he loved a lot of things. It was the most expensive thing he had ever bought for himself and was his pride and joy.

With a glint in her eye, she got up from her seat and headed to her jacket. After rummaging through her pocket, she walked coolly back to the table before dropping the key to her Ducati right next to his watch.

"Call" she said coolly as she took her seat again.

Neil sat forward with a smile and laid his cards out face up. He had been holding a straight flush - from the 8 of spades right up to the queen.

"Niiiiice" he heard from somewhere behind him but being so focused he didn't know which of his friends had commended him. Raising his eyebrows but not saying a word, he dared her to reveal her hand.

Her face broke into a grin as she casually spread her cards out and she watched with amusement as his shoulders dropped and he let out a big sigh. Shaking his head he held out his hand admitting defeat to her Royal Flush.

"Good game" he smiled.

"Thank you" she replied. "Now that's all done with, I'd best be going" she said cheerfully. "Work tomorrow!"

Graciously accepting the congratulations from Neil's friends, she slid her arms into her jacket before slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll walk you out" Neil said, picking up her helmet of the counter.

"Going to beg for your watch back Melendez" one of his friends teased. He was never going to live this down.

"Sure" he replied over his shoulder as he followed her to the door.

X

He walked a step or two behind her down to her motorcycle which was parked on his driveway behind his car. Wishing that their current situation could offer them a little more privacy, he decided to be bold and take her hand in an almost a mirrored version of the last time she'd visited his house a fortnight ago.

"Why did you come here tonight?" he asked, not really sure that he wanted to know.

"I'm not sure" she replied with a little laugh. "I've wavered between being angry with you and just plain missing you today. I think I was hoping that coming over would help me decide which one I needed to run with."

"Did it?"

"It did" she said. "The cookies and the lunch threw a bunch of mixed feelings at me. But when I got home tonight after clearing my head, I realised I didn't want to be there without you."

"You want to stay? I'll kick those guys out right now, you just say the word" he said with a laugh.

"We need to go slow this time. Tread carefully" she said with a soft smile. "If you want to?" she added quickly, not wanting to be too presumptuous.

"I want to" he said taking a step closer.

"You sure you don't want to think about it when your sober?"

"Nope, quite sure" he replied before closing the last of the gap between them and kissing her.

Raising her hand to stroke his cheek, she found her fingers moving to play with the hairs at the back of his neck eliciting a groan from him that she decided she would never tire of hearing.

Parting slowly, a little breathless, they smiled those smiles before she stepped away and took her helmet from him. She sat astride her bike and slid her hand into her pocket before putting it on.

"Turns out you're not such a terrible poker player after all. Those stakes were pretty high" she said holding out his beloved Panerai between her thumb and forefinger.

"You won that fair and square" he said shaking his head holding up both hands in defeat.

"I can't take this from you" she said imploringly. "You love this thing."

"I love you more" he blurted before leaning in and kissing her again.

She looked at him, her eyes twinkling as she pulled the helmet on and securing it under her chin. She zipped the timepiece safely into her jacket pocket before turning the key. The bike roared to life and Neil took a step back.

"I love you too" she smiled before she lowered her visor and kicked the stand away ready to hit the road.

She raised her hand as she pulled away, and after pausing briefly away the end of his drive, she was gone. He stood and waited a couple of seconds before turning to head back inside and face the merciless teasing he knew was coming.

X

He sat a while after his friends had left, resting a warm, flat bottle of beer on his thigh, just thinking how this evening had turned out very differently to what he'd planned. His phone vibrated across the table in front of him and he snatched it up, hoping it would be her. He smiled as he opened his WhatsApp to see her name at the top of his list of messages.

Opening it, he was surprised to see no message, just a link that he clicked without hesitation. His music streaming account sprang into life and the song began playing through the small speakers dotted discreetly around the room.

_"I hate Shakespeare and Gosling and cakes with white frosting  
Two names in a heart-shaped tattoo  
I think cupid is stupid and violets are purple not blue."_

He laughed to himself as he could actually picture her saying those words to him but then came the chorus which made his smile spread into a grin, creasing the corners if his eyes as he laughed out loud.

_"I hate love songs (I hate love songs)  
Yeah, I really do (I really do)  
I hate love songs (I hate love songs)  
But I love you"_

  
He listened intently to the next few verses with the same goofy smile on his face and sat a few minutes in silence after it finished.

Picking up his phone again, he sent a simple reply.

'Love you too' he typed, watching the double checks appear as it delivered and smiled softly to himself as they turned blue.

They were going to be just fine.

X

**This one came from a guest suggestion of a poker scene after Lims little dig in season 2. Also a request from enjoyseries for a Valentine's chapter :-) Hope you don't mind sharing...enjoy ?!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks so much for all the prompts I'm getting for this. I can hardly keep up! I will get to them all, I promise :-)**

**X**

He smiled to himself as he nudged the front door open with his shoulder, precariously balancing an overfilled grocery bag in his arms. The smell of something good and hearty hit his nostrils and he smiled to himself. 'How long has she been here?' he wondered as he unceremoniously dropped his briefcase in the hall.

Standing a while at the entrance to the kitchen, he watched her move around his space with confidence and ease and his heart swelled while his smile widened. She came to a stop at the end of the counter nearest him, looked up and gave a smile in return, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head with a silent question.

"Think we've done enough to throw them off?" he asked as he took the few steps he needed to come up behind her and slide his arms around her waist.

"I think so" she smiled, letting her head loll back as he kissed and nibbled at the bare skin at her collar.

"Looks good" he said lifting his head briefly to look at the plates set out in front if her. "Smells good too" he mumbled in between a couple of light kisses. "What is it?"

"You don't need to butter me up, Melendez. I'm a sure thing" she said as she turned to face him. She draped her arms over his shoulders and looked at him with a smirk. A look he would never her tired of seeing.

The look he gave her in return gave her no doubt that dinner was the last thing on his mind but as he pressed her up against the counter, he felt a hand firmly plant in the centre if his chest.

She could feel his heart pounding but kept her resolve and gave him a little push. "Let's eat before it gets cold" she said before extracting herself from his hold and quickly picking up the plates. She nodded to the outdoor seating area and he nodded right back, before grabbing a couple of beers from the refrigerator and following her dutifully.

The heater had been on for sometime, warming the space by the small table nicely. Springtime in San Jose could be mixed, the days were warming up but the evenings could still be cool. After they finished dinner, they would usually move to a more comfortable spot and settle in under a couple of blankets to keep the chill away. It had become a little ritual of theirs. With their range outside their homes limited by the secret nature of the relationship, these moments they spent each evening outside on his porch felt like a little bit of freedom.

This evening was a little different. They needed to talk about something so after clearing up the plates and getting another drink they made themselves comfortable on his sofa. Music playing softly in the background so they could hear the gentle tune but it was not quite loud enough to make out the words.

"About the complaint..." she started apprehensively after a few minutes.

"It's all sorted right?" he asked, to which she nodded the affirmative. "Do we have to get into that tonight?" he sighed.

"We can't too much but think we should say something. Like how we know it's garbage but it has to go through the correct channels" she said. "It'll be good for us? Right? Good for this?" she asked gesturing between them.

"There's been a lot of talking going on over the last couple of weeks" he said, taking a long drink from the bottle he had been resting on his thigh.

"I thought that was just your thing" she teased, moving in closer and resting her head on his shoulder.

"It usually is. But all the deep and meaningful conversations at the track has kinda tapped me out" he said. "I'm ready for a bit less taking and a bit more action" he said with a laugh.

"You get why we have to keep this quiet right?" she said, sitting up to look at him.

"Subordinate relationships are not approved by the board" he said with a mocking tone. "It's bullshit!"

"I know that, and you know that" she said with a sigh. "Personally, I'm with you but professionally we need to be careful. I need to be careful."

"I get it, I get it" he said, gently pushing some of her beautiful dark hair back behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheek. His light touch made her shiver and her eyes drifted closed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it" he smiled before leaning in and kissing her.

They didn't talk a whole lot more, they sat exchanging light kisses and touches until she laughed at him stifling a yawn.

"It's been a long day" he shrugged nonchalantly, playing it cool despite feeling bone tired.

"I was there" she smiled, smoothing down his unruly hair, sticking up in every direction thanks to her fingers which had been buried in it. She thought he looked particularly cute in these moments when he wasn't perfectly coiffed and looked so relaxed.

"Yeah, you were" he said, taking her hand and holding it in his. "You always will be" he smiled softly.

"I should get going" she laughed. "You're starting to get delusional, a little sleep deprived maybe?!"

"You could stay" he suggested with a cheeky smile.

"I could" she replied. "But..."

"Just to sleep" he interrupted.

"I have an early start in the morning" she argued.

"I'll set my alarm" he countered, not wanting to take no for an answer.

"Neil..."

"Come on" he said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. "Come to bed."

She looked back and forth from his hand to his face a couple of times before reaching up and grasping it tightly.

He helped her to her feet and gently pulled her hand to follow him as he turned towards the stairs. Walking a step or two behind, she loosely held on to his fingers as they climbed the staircase and headed straight towards the bedroom.

"Comfortable?" he quipped with an amused look seeing her quite at home underneath the covers as he emerged from the bathroom.

"Very" she grinned back. "Come on" she said before pulling back the covers.

He slid gently in next to her, moving in close and propping himself up on his elbow to look down on her.

"I love you" he said, leaning down and kissing her.

"I love you back" she said smiling up at him. "Now go to sleep. Goodnight Neil" she said, settling into the pillows and pulling the comforter up to her chin.

"Goodnight Audrey" he replied, draping his arm over her waist and pulling her close.

X

Keeping their relationship secret had been one of the biggest challenges they'd faced. There had been such a brief period for them to show how they felt in public, but they'd had a taste of what could have been and had not been ready to give it up.

Their break up had been staged, as suspected by HR so they pushed it further and broke up a little more thoroughly. Arguing in public and being confrontational helped sell the whole charade.

The relationship had continued, although their contact had inadvertently become more sparse. He had been spending a lot of time with Claire which turned out to be the best cover of all and pretty good therapy for the both of them. She would talk about her upbringing, her mother and her hopes for the future. He would talk about Audrey, continuing to sew the seeds of a breakup and sharing in her wallowing.

'Misery really does live company' she laughed one evening at the track after a particularly hard run. He knew she had bought into it. Once Reznick lodged that formal complaint, they were home and free.

It was now obvious that there was no suspicion of their relationship so they continued covertly. They were quite sure that Aaron knew, but he wouldn't say anything in public and unless he asked them directly, they agreed to keep quiet. They were most concerned about Dr Murphy but they soon realised that they weren't even on his radar, especially after he burst in on them in the elevator the week before with no acknowledgment, begging to do an autopsy on a Jane Doe.

How long they could carry on like this, they couldn't guess. But they would take what they could for now and hope that things would change. Maybe, after a while, they could show that their relationship hadn't been affecting them at work, they'd have a good case for the board to make an exception to their rule. After all, Glassman had Debbie working for him so there was precedent to be used.

Whatever happened next, they knew that if they got through this, they would get through anything. The future was Lim and Melendez; Audrey and Neil and the future was bright.


End file.
